Recreational Therapy Certification and Certificate Program Info

Recreational therapists use recreational activities and exercises to treat individuals suffering from debilitating illness and disease. Therapies may involve taking walks, participating in light sports or even playing board games with recovering patients. Recreational therapy certificate programs are aimed at aspiring recreational therapy aides, since recreational therapists must hold at least a bachelor's degree.

Essential Information

Students of certificate programs may participate in internships as well as clinical practice. In some instances, these programs require home health aide certification and undergraduate degrees prior to admission. Recreational therapy aides may earn professional certification by passing a national examination. Some recreational therapy aide certificate programs require that incoming students have some professional experience and certification as home health aides. Others require students to have a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience as an occupational therapist assistant.

While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn't publish information about recreational therapy aides, it does have data pertaining to the closely related field of occupational therapy aides. As of 2014, these aides earned hourly mean wages of $13.96, per the BLS. Employment opportunities for occupational therapy assistants and aides were projected to increase 41% from 2012-2022, which is a faster-than-average rate.

Certification Options

Each state has its own requirements for recreational therapist aides as well as recreational therapists. Some states have associations, such as the North Carolina Recreational Therapy Association, that are specifically devoted to recreational therapy and offer certification examinations for aides. The National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification also offers national certification for recreational therapy assistants.